


Yuri!! At Walgreens

by cxasandt



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: American AU, Anxiety, Depression, M/M, Walgreens au no one asked for, american au as in theyre in america but not american, literally kill me, probably panic attack warning, racism warning, will add tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2016-12-16
Packaged: 2018-09-09 02:06:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8871481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cxasandt/pseuds/cxasandt
Summary: Yuuri lands a job by chance at a local convenience store, and is trained under the Assistant Manager, Victor. Along with his co-workers he thinks he can make it in retail, even when there are customers who look down on him





	

It had only been a couple of months since Yuuri had moved to Detroit. It all still felt like a dream.  
“Have you found a job yet?” His mother had asked, worried for her son.  
Yuuri laughed half-heartedly, no, he hadn’t, and was running out of savings fast. “No…but I’m still looking” He murmured in his mother-tongue.  
It had been harder than he thought. His resume was lackluster from his lack of experience, having no references or experience. He knew his options would be limited because of his hesitant English and his thick accent. Yuuri couldn’t stand the thought of being forced out of his new life just because of such things. He _wanted_ to make it here. He _had_ to.  
However, Yuuri feared the moment when he would ultimately be kicked out of the shared apartment when he ran out of savings. His roommate, Phichit, was so kind, but no one would let Yuuri stick around for long without paying his due. He couldn’t do that to Phichit, especially since they had become great internet friends through an online learning-English class. They stayed in touched long after the class ended, ending up at a point where the Thai had invited Yuuri to live with him after he had initially moved, telling Yuuri how diverse it was there and how he had got an easy tech-support job with good pay. It made Yuuri hopeful for a new start.  
Yuuri didn’t have anything against Japan or anyone in it. In fact, he missed his friends. But he was having trouble with motivation. He became depressed easily and had enough anxiety to kill a horse. His only redeeming qualities being his ability to stay on the computer for all hours of the day, playing games or watching anime (though not enough to call him an “otaku”). He had wanted to learn English to maybe pursue something in the gaming community, as nerdy as that sounded, but even that had made him lose interest after meeting Phichit and learning his dream of starting up a business. Maybe there was something in America for him, he had thought once.  
So, he ran with it. He was already 21, and had no job, barely helped his parents with the hot springs, had enough savings since he never really needed anything that wasn’t provided, and was, in most aspects, in a rut. He could start a new life. He could make his parents proud. Maybe even find someone he’d be proud to introduce to his parents as a lover.  
But his initial excitement ran out within a month of moving and still having no job. He had been quick to spend some extra money in entertainment, food, and luxuries at the beginning, expecting to be as fortunate as Phichit. He now regretted the nice clothes he had picked out and the computer upgrade he thought he _needed_. Now he was cutting down to ramen lunches, much like he had in Japan, only the American version was cheaper and tasted worse. 

Yuuri’s stomach grumbled at the thought of food. He could probably afford to grab something other than ramen if he went to the store. Begrudgingly, he left the comfortable apartment and stepped outside into the colder Detroit air.  
Yuuri pulled his scarf up higher as he mumbled to himself, “Phichit said there was a convenience store nearby…”  
He walked down the street, avoiding eye contact but staring at the ground until, ultimately, he ran into a local, who was much, _much_ larger than him. “Sorry! Sorry!” He said quickly, getting a disgusted stare from the man.  
“Look where you’re fucking going.” The man spat at him. Yuuri bowed his head in defeat, not wanting to cause a scene.  
He continued walking, nearly crying, until he saw a lit-up corner store at the end of the street.  
“W-Waaall…” He attempted prounouning the silly-looking name, thinking there was a trick to it. “Wall Greens… Walgreens >” He said softly, letting the automatic doors open for him.  
“Hi! Welcome to Walgreens!” A woman exclaimed happily, and rather loudly, from behind the front counter. Yuuri was taken back, she was small with brown hair and eyes. This woman sounded and looked rather foreign, like Yuuri.  
“Hello. Thank you.”  
“Oh! Are you Japanese?” She had asked.  
“Uh… yeah. Could you tell?”  
“Of course!” She responded, in Japanese, much to Yuuri’s surprise. “Where are you from?”  
“Hasetsu--”  
“No way! Me too! My name is Nishigori Yuuko! Maybe we know each other.”  
“I.. don’t think so…” Yuuri averted his eyes, not knowing what to do with this over-excited stranger named Yuuko.  
_Maybe she’s just being nice cause it's her job._ Yuuri thought.  
An older woman with greying hair, who came out of nowhere, was suddenly in front of the counter Yuuko had inched away from, and she cleared her throat loudly. “Oh! Sorry ma’am. Are you ready to check out?” Yuuko said cheerfully, in English, turning her attention away from Yuuri, who made a quick get-away to find what he came for. 

Yuuri, who had looked at everything, had no more reason to avoid the front and the talkative cashier. He felt bad for wanting to avoid her, knowing that he would probably feel better if he made a friend in her. But Yuuri just wanted food…  
He walked up to the front slowly, noticing a black-haired man talking to Yuuko, in a similar uniform: blue-collared shirt and black pants with a name-tag. Another employee. Yuuri noticed how he had a devious look in his dark blue eyes.  
“Ah! Are you ready to checkout?” Yuuko asked in English.  
“Y-Yes please.” Yuuri responded, putting the frozen meals, chili cans, and m&m’s he had found on the counter.  
“Do you have a Walgreens rewards card?”  
“Ah, no.”  
“Would you like me to sign you up for one? It takes less than 2 minutes and is completely free. You’ll save more the more you shop here.” Yuuko spoke quickly.  
“Sure…” Yuuri mumbled, noticing the man eying him, almost thoughtfully.  
“Alright! Please put your number in the pin-pad.” Yuuri did, “Now, what’s your name?”  
“Yuuri Katsuki. Y-U-U-R-I K-A-T-S-U-K-I.”  
“Address?”  
He had to look on his phone, having not completely memorized it yet.  
“You don’t know your address?” The man from the corner asked.  
“Not yet… I moved recently.” Yuuri said, avoiding eye contact before telling his address to Yuuko.  
“Ah. You live down the street that’s convenient.” The man continued.  
Yuuri gave a pitiful laugh in response, watching as Yuuko scanned a blue card to give to him. She soon started to scan his items while the man went behind the counter and stood next to her. Yuuri saw his name tag, reading it thoughtfully, thinking on how to pronounce it. _Jean-Jacques_.  
Yuuri made the mistake of looking up and met the man’s eyes.  
“Would you like a job here?”  
_Eh?_

**Author's Note:**

> yes i work at walgreens and no im not sorry.  
> not beta'd so tell me if there are mistakes in the comments!
> 
> follow my tumblr(s)--> cxasandt, cassanthemum


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